In Too Deep
by mugglenet27
Summary: He would rather die doing something good, than die at the hands of his master. This, at least, he knows.


When Mother walked into the room, I knew that something was terribly wrong. I had rarely ever seen her look so distraught. Her normally bright blue eyes looked dull, and rather than her usual pale complexion, her skin had taken on more of an ashen tone. She bit her lip as she timidly knocked on my door.

Yes, something was seriously wrong.

She grabbed my arm and gently pulled me up from the chair I had situated myself in. Her hands were shaking as she tried to explain what was to happen to me.

Between all her sobs, I got the general message.

He had called for me.

It was my time.**_  
_**

Now, Believe me when I say that I have felt pain in my life. You must remember that I have been an avid flyer for quite some time now, and when you are first learning how to fly, you generally fall a few times.

Of course, I only fell once. I always had a knack for flying.

But this pain…it was almost more than I could bear.

My legs gave out from under me and my kneecaps hit the soft carpet. By this time, I had wrenched my arm out of Mother's hands. She was at my side in mere moments as I screamed in pain.

This wretched arm….

The world was spinning around me as I tried to keep a grasp on the last little bit of consciousness that I was holding onto. Mother's face blurred before my eyes, but before anything else could happen, the pain had stopped.

It was over for now.

But that just meant he was expecting me, then and there.

Shakily, I rose to my feet and stared my mother in the eye. Our eyes met, and I nodded.

We were on our way seconds later.

As we headed towards the entrance to his lair, the knot in my stomach began to grow. This was no ordinary dread or fear. No. I knew this time. I knew that I was going to die here. There was no point in trying to convince myself otherwise. My master was not a forgiving one, and he would not take my failure lightly.

I had tried, but it simply wasn't enough.

My mind was reeling, and by this point, I wasn't even aware of the fact that I was still walking. Soon, I would be in that chamber, facing him.

And then what?

A light became visible at the end of the corridor. My heart began pounding and a dull throbbing started up in my arm again.

Normally, I would just be able to shake off this fear, but there are a few things even I am terrified of.

He was one of them.

The light became brighter, almost blinding, as I stepped one foot over the threshold.

This was it.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was not my master, nor was it my potions teacher that was kneeling with his head down just to my left. No, it was neither of these people.

Rather, the first person that caught my attention was someone I had never expected to be there.

Blaise Zabini.

Later, I would learn that he was there to become initiated as a Death Eater.

However, I could not keep my attention on him for long. Soon enough, I was called to kneel directly in front of my Lord. My head hung low, I did was I was instructed, blood rushing into my shaky hands.

He began to speak to me of my mission - one he knew was virtually impossible, for who could infiltrate the school's security and take out the man that ran it all?

He had expected me to.

Before I could try and explain to him why I had failed, or even beg for forgiveness, it happened. Pain worse than I could ever imagine. Pain worse than I had felt just moments ago when I was called here. Pain I will never know how I lived through.

But soon, it was over. I chanced a glance over at my friend. Blaise's usually slanted eyes were wide with surprise.

He, too, must be wondering how I was alive.

Every fiber of my being felt like it was on fire and I was soon being helped up by three pairs of hands. I knew who was pulling me up, but I did not know why. Didn't they know how stupid their actions were? Helping me would only incense him further.

Again, only one thought flashed through my mind: I was going to die.

But rather than taking his anger out on me, my Lord stood from the throne on which he was seated and held his wand out in front of him. Through my strained eyes, I tried to see where it was pointed, but had I been blind, I still think I would have known.

It was pointed directly at my classmate that was standing at my side.

Blaise Zabini was frozen with fear; I could not blame him.

I was very weak. I could hardly support my own body weight without tumbling to the rock hard floor once again.

My mind was blank. I suppose that it, too, was just exhausted.

It was then that it seemed time slowed down.

They say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. I suppose that was what was happening to me. Only…instead of my memories resurfacing, my mind was focusing on the scene at hand.

For the second time that day, my eyes locked with my mother's. In that one glance, I tried to convey to her what I was going to do. Her eyes widened; I suppose she understood. She held her hand out to me, trying to keep me from doing the uncharacteristic act I had decided upon.

She was too late. My mind was set.**_  
_**

I'm not entirely sure when I realized that this was what I wanted to do. I could venture a guess that I would rather die a hero than die a failure, as I was still convinced I would. My master was now furious beyond belief, and I knew that I and those around me would not be leaving alive that day if my Lord had any say in it.

The Dark Lord opened his mouth to utter those two fatal words, and I braced myself. As soon as the jet of green light flew out of his wand, I leapt in front of the boy that had been a colleague of mine for six long years. No, we were not the closest of friends, but I had to do it. I would rather die doing something good…than die at my master's hands.

The spell hit me square in the chest, and I managed a quick glance at Zabini - the one I shared a dormitory with, the one that I shared a majority of my years at school with.

He caught my body as I fell.

Maybe, just maybe, he was worth my sacrifice. I just hoped he would do something with the second chance I had given him.

But even if he did not, I suppose that saving a life during my time on Earth was not so bad.

I just hoped that no one would think less of me for doing it….

They didn't.

------------------------------

**Note:** My first Draco fic! Yeah, it's out of character a bit that he give up his life, but it was for a challenge on another site.


End file.
